The rise of the Omicron variant and worrying COVID-19 situations in neighbouring jurisdictions mean residents in the Northwestern Health Unit should tread carefully, despite relatively low and stable case counts in their own backyard, says medical officer of health Dr. Kit Young Hoon.
The NWHU reported one new case in the Kenora region Tuesday, bringing the active case count to 18. That included eight cases in the Sioux Lookout area, five in Dryden/Red Lake, three in Kenora, and two in Rainy River.
One resident was in hospital with the virus as of Tuesday.
It’s a reassuring picture compared to neighbouring regions, Young Hoon noted.
“We’re surrounded by a number of jurisdictions where case counts are either high or increasing,” she said, pointing to Winnipeg, Minnesota, and Thunder Bay, where the active case count has spiked to 135.
Young Hoon urged residents to carefully weigh what risks they take, given that and the uncertainty over the Omicron variant, which scientists have warned contains a number of mutations that likely make it more contagious.
“I think the fact that it’s significantly more transmissible is clearer, at this point,” Young Hoon said, but stressed evidence is still emerging.
That makes the variant a potentially “significant” development, she said.
She expects it’s a question of when, not if, the NWHU will join the growing list of health units where Omicron has been detected – a list that now includes Thunder Bay.
“I do think it’s just a matter of time and we will see the Omicron variant in our catchment area,” she said.
Young Hoon said she saw no need yet for new public health restrictions over the holidays in the NWHU, but asked residents to exercise caution.
“We would consider that in the NWHU if case numbers were increasing and we were seeing spread within communities,” she said.
“I would encourage people to just think about risk as they’re making plans for the holidays,” she said. That means limiting the number of people they interact with, “but also thinking about being more deliberate about how you’re socializing – if outdoors is an option, maybe consider that.”
